Window-blind-slat fastener.



PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

C. P. AUSBAND. WINDOW BLIND SLAT FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1905.

C/zanw Mama/201.

Inventor,

Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. AUSBAND, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ADAM FlSHER, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

WlNDOW-BLIND-SLAT FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 24, 1905. Serial No. 266.841.

'ratented June 26, 1906.

To all whom it WMLZ/ concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES P. AUSBAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful l/Vindow-Blind-Slat Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to slat-holders for window-blinds, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character capable of being readily attached to a blind and engaged with one of the pivoted slats thereof for holding the same in different tilted positions.

It is furthermore designed to facilitate the manipulation of the holder for disengaging the same from the slat, so as to leave one hand of the operator free for tilting the slat while the other is holding the device out of engagement therewith \Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a window-blind having one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through a window-blind, showing another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the form of holder employed in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the member to be carried by the slat for engagement with the holder shown in Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

As embodied in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the present device includes an attaching bracket or plate 6, which is preferably formed of plate metal and is rebent at one end, as at 9, to form a spring leaf or link 8, inclined downwardly and outwardly across the attaching-plate, and then bent back upon itself, as at 10, to form a spring-arm 1, which rises a suitable distance above the top of the attachingbracket and has its free end portion provided with a series of seats as, for instance, by corrugating the arm transversely or folding the same into zigzag form, as shown at 2- in Fig. 1, or by the provision of a series of perforations 15', as in Figs. 2 and 3.

In practice the bracket 6 is secured to the inner face of the lower rail 7 of a window blind or shutter by means of suitable fastenings 12, with the fold 9 disposed above the top of the rail in order that the latter may not interfere with the elasticity of said folded portion. Vhen thus attached, the springarm 1 rises across the adjacent pivotal slat 7 and bows across the upper free edge of the slat with its upper end portion in frictional engagement therewith and adapted to have the upper end of the slat engage with any of the seats 2, so as to hold the slat in any tilted adjustment. By reason of the spring link or leaf 8 the upper free end of the arm 1 may be moved out of engagement with the slat by pressing inwardly upon the bend 10, which connects the lower ends of the arm and the spring 8, thereby leaving the other hand of the operator free to tilt the slat to any new position. When pressure is relieved from the part 10, the arm will snap back into engagement with the slat and hold the latter in its adjusted position.

To prevent wear upon the slat 5 by frictional contact with the arm 1, I employ a substantially U-shaped metallic clip 4, which embraces the upper edge of the slat and is connected thereto by means of suitable fastenings 13, the closed end of the clip being compressed to provide the projection 3 for engagement with the seats 2 of the spring arm.

As exhibited in Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that a pin or the like 16 is driven into the upper edge of the slat for engagement with the perforations 15, so as to prevent wear upon the slat.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the device of the present invention is entirely complete in itself and in the nature of an attachment capable of being readily applied to any ordinary blind or shutter without requiring any change or alteration therein. Furthermore, the engagement between the spring-arm of the attachment and one of the slats of the shutter is a frictional one in order that the springarm may be swung away from the slat with out requiring a careful manipulation of the device to disengage these members.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A slatholder for shutters comprising an attaching member, a spring-leaf having its upper end connected to the upper end of the attaching member with its free end inclined downwardly and away therefrom, and a slatengagmg spring-arm carried by the lower free end of the leaf and bowed upwardly therefrom across the top of the attaching member.

2. A slat-holder for shutters consisting of a flat spring-metal bar having one end formed into an attaching element with the adjacent portion of the bar folded back across the attaching element and forming a spring-leaf, and the other end portion of the bar being folded back across the outer side of the springleaf and projecting beyond the fold between the leaf and the attaching member and bowed across said fold to form a slat-engaging member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES P. AUSBAND.

WVitnesses O. P. MUNGo, W. R. BIGGERS. 

